South korea cruise

It seems like Apple needs to tread carefully in South Korea, as the country’s government announced it would investigate “some matters” relating to the Cupertino company, reports Reuters.Unfortunately, the investigation seems to be shrouded in mystery. When asked what those matters were by a South Korean lawmaker during a parliamentary hearing, Fair Trade Commission chairman Jeong Jae-chan did not divulge details. However, rumors suggest that South Korea is not happy with Apple’s contracts with the country’s mobile carriers and the way the company operates its business.According to the rumors, Apple’s Korean arm forced carriers to buy a minimum number of promotional iPhones. Furthermore, it is alleged that Apple required South Korean carriers to share some of the financial cost of repairs. Finally, the contracts South Korean carriers signed with Apple allegedly included a stipulation that they could not file lawsuits against the … [Read more...] about The South Korean government will investigate ‘some matters’ involving Apple

Who hasn’t felt the frustration of being almost completely unable to scale a sheer skyscraper covered in glass? LG certainly has, so it gave a champion climber two of its CordZero vacuum cleaners, and pointed her in the direction of a suitable building — the idea being the suction created by the cleaners through special cups would be enough to see her scale the outside. Was it really possible, or would she plunge to her doom?To make sure there was no actual doom-plunging going on, the stunt was carefully orchestrated by LG, as a way to show the power of its cordless CordZero Cyking vacuum cleaners, and the amazing ability of pro rock climber Sierra Blair-Coyle. The cleaners aren’t exactly like the ones you’ll buy from the shops, having been modified to make them suitable for use during the climb, including the addition of those all-important suction cups. The 200 watts of power and 45,000rpm inverter motor are the same though.Blair-Coyle had to wear two of the … [Read more...] about Luckily for this plucky pro climber, LG vacuum cleaners suck hard

Hyundai South Korea has revealed images and details for its 2016 Avante sedan, which is marketed in the U.S. as the Elantra.Hyundai’s redesigned compact is longer, wider, and taller than the present generation, while its wheelbase remains the same. Styling comes directly from recently remodeled Hyundai vehicles like the 2015 Sonata and Genesis, meaning a large hexagonal grille dominates the 2016 Avante’s face, with updated headlights and LED daytime running lights.The side view is a bit more similar to the current Avante/Elantra, with the addition of a sloping roofline, new alloy wheels, and chromed door handles on higher trims. At the rear, the taillights have been modestly updated to appear slimmer, while a new trunk lid spoiler and shark fin antenna have been tacked on.Inside, the cabin has been refreshed to mimic the new Sonata, including a three-spoke steering wheel, 8.0-inch JBL infotainment system, alloy pedals, and a redesigned dash. The new look is certainly a … [Read more...] about Hyundai South Korea’s 2016 Avante previews the brand’s next generation Elantra

It may have taken centuries, but it looks as though the world is finally embracing the notion of alternative energy sources in earnest. Following the groundbreaking Paris Climate Change Conference, renewable energy is seeing renewed efforts, and now, South Korea-based LG Electronics has promised to triple its solar panel production over the next four years. In a press release, the company announced a new $435 million investment in solar cell manufacturing facilities, and LG notes that “the addition of six production lines to the current eight will increase capacity from 1GW to 1.8GW by 2018 and 3GW — equivalent to the electrical power consumed by 1 million households — by 2020.”The firm’s solar business, which was first launched over two decades ago in 1995, has expanded significantly since its early days as demand for solar energy has grown. And now, in order to fulfill the burgeoning need for fossil fuel alternatives, LG seems prepared to go … [Read more...] about LG announces plans to triple solar panel production by 2020

The Hyundai Ioniq will be the first car to offer buyers hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric powertrains as part of the same model line, but Hyundai says it will emphasize sporty driving as much as efficiency. Aimed squarely at the Toyota Prius, the Ioniq debuts this week in South Korea, but consumers in other markets won’t get an up-close look until March.Teased multiple times already, the Ioniq has a five-door hatchback shape that should look familiar to drivers of older Prius models. The design is a bit more restrained than the latest generation of Toyota’s hybrid icon, which may be a good thing, depending on your perspective. There’s a lot of contrasting black material, including trim that connects the Hyundai-signature grille to the headlights. Hyundai also claims a drag coefficient of 0.24, matching that of the 2016 Prius.Hyundai will begin the rollout with the Ioniq Hybrid. This model uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, teamed with an electric motor and … [Read more...] about Hyundai says its new Ioniq Hybrid will be sporty, as well as efficient

Several carmakers have big plans for self-driving cars, but the components needed to put those cars on the road will likely come from an array of suppliers.Suppliers like Bosch, for example. The German company will soon roll out technology needed to let cars drive themselves on highways and autonomously change lanes, according to Automotive News (subscription required).Bosch says it has contracts to supply radar, cameras, control units, and other equipment in 2017 and 2018. It’s part of a four-stage timetable the company plans to use to introduce the technology.Beginning in 2017, Bosch plans to offer “integrated highway assist,” which allows a car to travel at speeds up to 75 mph on the highway, while remaining in its lane.In 2018, this will be augmented with a “highway assist” system that allows the car to change lanes by itself. Both systems still require a human driver to monitor the road.By 2020, Bosch expects to equip cars with a “highway … [Read more...] about Bosch expects to see self-driving cars in 10 years

Hyundai recently announced plans to launch a luxury-oriented sub-brand called Genesis in the not-too-distant future. Making good on its promise in record time, the company has introduced the South Korean version of the G90, a large sedan positioned at the very top of Genesis’ lineup.Billed as a replacement for the aging Hyundai Equus, the G90, known as the EQ900 in its home country, is a monumentally important vehicle because it ushers in the Korean automaker’s “Athletic Elegance” design language, which will lend styling cues to every model in the Genesis lineup. The G90 wears an elegant-looking front end characterized by a large hexagonal grille with thin vertical slats, boomerang-shaped LED headlights, a long piece of chrome trim at the bottom of the bumper, and a prominently-placed winged Genesis emblem. In retrospect, the Vision G concept that Hyundai quietly introduced earlier this year was an accurate preview of the … [Read more...] about Can Hyundai’s Genesis brand take on BMW with its large, ultra-posh G90 sedan?

It’s an exciting time for technology and automobiles. As the gadgets and gizmos in your car begin to integrate further and further with your computer, tablet, and smartphone, the realization for a fully autonomous driving experience — a la science fiction films like iRobot — is rapidly approaching. Of course, not everyone is convinced of how capable our future robot chauffeurs will be. In a recent article, Digital Trend’s contributor Rob Enderle voiced his skepticism over how in-car technology might be going too far. While that may or may not be the case, according to another article in the MIT-published Technology Review, companies such as BMW and Google are pushing heavily for a more automated and hands-off approach to driving. But while we gaze into the mesmerizing void that is the future, are we really that close to making science fiction science fact? And if we are, how far off is this robotic roadway? The answer: Closer than you think.Both hands off … [Read more...] about Destination, home: How fully autonomous driving might come sooner than we think

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots -- this is a real thing -- has implored the United Nations to use this week's talks in Geneva to ban the development of fully autonomous weapons -- aka, killer robots.Hearkening to the plot of Terminator 2, the group said that such weapons would be able to select and engage targets without human intervention.The U.S., South Korea, Israel and the UK all use robotic systems that are, to at least some extent, autonomous and lethal. China and Russia are believed to be developing systems that would give full combat authority to machines, the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots said.A spokeswoman for Human Rights Watch urged that "an international ban is needed to ensure that humans will retain control over decisions to target and use force against other humans."[Source:The Guardian]The European Union gave Facebook 8,500 requests for data -- affecting 10,000 user accounts -- during the first six months of 2013, Richard Allen, the company's director for public … [Read more...] about TECH TREK Activists Press UN to Ban Killer Robots

While a verdict has yet to be reached in the Apple vs.Samsung court case going on in California, across the world a similar trial resulted in a splitdecision. A court in South Korea on Friday ruled that Apple andSamsung both infringed on each others' patents.Judges noted that Samsung did not copy the look andfeel of the iPhone, and in fact the court in Seoul ordered a partialban on sales of iPads and some smartphones from both companies. Theruling further found that Apple infringed on Samsung's wirelesstechnology, while the panel found that Samsung violated Appletechnology -- notably the "bounce-back" feature when scrolling ontouchscreen devices.Both sides were ordered to pay limited damages ranging in the tens of thousands of dollar -- paltry sums for the two tech behemoths.And while South Korea is not a big market for Apple -- and is a large one for Samsung, which is based in that country -- the verdict is beingclosely watched as a possible preview of case unfolding in San Jose, … [Read more...] about Decision in SK Apple-Samsung Case Could Mold the Shape of Verdicts to Come